Combination invalid bed and chair.



W. F. FLETCHER 6L H. N. RICHARDSON.

' COMBINATION INVALID BED AND CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1915.

1,179,907. Patented Apr. 18, 1916. .5f J4' a .if .77 if M L /g/ Wmwa/ 35% ,l

COMBIN'I'ION INVALID BED AND CHAIR.

Speccaltion of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application ined February e, 1915. serial No. 6,563.

invention it is the aim to provide a foldingv bed chair having `an opening in the seat portion provided with a removable closure, whereby the patient or invalid may` easily attend to the calls of nature. y

A further object of theinvention is to provide 'a bed of this nature whereby the patient may lie straight or flat out. and when improving or becoming partially convalescent may be reclined in partial sitting positions,

and after havingrecovered substantially. the bed may be adjusted whereby the invalid or patient may be disposed in a complete sitting position.

In practical fields the details of construction `may necessitate alterations, `falling within the scope of what is claimed.

r1he invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings -Figure 1 is a view in side elevation sh owing the combined bed and chair adjusted for use as an invalid bed. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the bed showing parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a sectional view longitudinally. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the foldable back and leg supporting portion of the bed adjusted whereby the device may be used as a chair, and showing the removable closure of said opening lowered.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a supporting framey comprising side parts 2, each of which consists of a longitudinal rod 3 having downwardly extending legs 4. The legs of each side part are connected by the brace plate 5, the ends of which are formed in rolls G to receive the legs. The brace plates of the side parts are connected, at one end of the supporting frame by means of the rod 8. Mounted in bearings of the brace plates at the other end of the `frame is a rocking shaft 9 having downwardly extending arms 10, one at each end, and the single upwardly extending arm 11. On one end of the rocking shaft is a lever 12. Bolted to the upper rod of the supporting frame is a bed frame 13 comprising a stationary section 14 (which is bolted to said supporting frame as shown at 15), and the back and leg supporting sections 17 and 18, which are hinged or pivoted at 19 and 20 to the stationary section. rEhese sections are so constructed as to support a combined bed and chairspring 21, which consist of three hingedly united sections 22, 23 and 24, the section 22 engages the stationary section of the bed frame, whereas the sections 23 and 24 are supported respectively by the back and leg supporting sections. The spring construction of the section 22 is constructed with a suitable opening 25, with which the `and designed to close the openings 25 and 26. By manipulating the crank handle the closure may be lowered, in which case a suitable receptacle may be placed beneath the opening, when the invalid wishes to respond to the calls of nature. Pivoted at 37 to one end of the strap 30 is a lever 38, which may be thrown or disposed under the closure, and when in such position the free portion of the lever engages a hooked end 40 of the strap 31, thereby securely supporting said closure in the openings. Secured to the under face of the leg supporting section is a bracket 43, to the transverse rod 44 of which the links 45 are pivotally connected, as shown at 46. The ends 47 of the links are in turn connected to the arms 10. To the under face of the back supporting section a bracket 48 is secured, to which a link 49 is pivoted, which in turn is pivoted to the arm 11 of the rocking shaft.

It will be observed that by throwing the lever 12 to the positon shown in Fig. 1 the back and leg supporting sections are arranged horizontally. By throwing the lever in the direction of the arrow a, and causing 50 of the rack 5l it will be observed that the back and leg supporting section mayl be inclined correspondingly, yso as to support the patient or invalid in a partially sitting position. It will he observed, how ever, that said hack and leg supporting sections may be disposed in order to support the patient in a full sitting position.

It will be noted, that when the lever 12 is disposed as shown in Fig. l a latch 53 is employed to prevent movement of the lever in the direction of the arrow a. Vhen it is desired to operate the lever, the latch may be thrown out of its path. The mattress is provided with a suitable cover 54, which is huttoned at 55 to themattress. This cover consists of two parts 56 andy 57, the part 56 covers the horizontally disposed portion (which is provided with an opening) of the mattress and the back Isupporting portion of the mattress, while the part 57 covers the leg supporting portion of the mattress. When the patient or invalid wishes to respond to the calls of nature, the part 56 of the cover may be unbuttoned and removed from over the opening.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is In an invalid hed, a supporting hed frame comprising upper longitudinal side bars and lower longitudinal side bars, a mattress supporting frame comprising agmiddle sec-l tion rigidly fixed to the corresponding ends of the upper side bars of the supporting frame and forming no part thereof, a back section hingedly connected to one end of the middle section and being disengageably supported normally upon the opposite ends of the upper side bars of the supporting frame, a leg supporting section hingedly connected to the other end of the middle ,section and adapted to be swung downwardly in engagement with two of the supporting legs of the supporting frame, a rock shaft mounted in the lower side bars of the supporting frame adjacent the end opposite the leg supporting section, said rock shaft having a pair of arms, links connected to said arms and to the leg supporting section, said rock shaft having a third arm extending therefrom in a direction directly opposite the pair of arms, a link connecting the'third arm and the back section, a rack on one side of the upper part of the supporting frame, a lever fixed to one end of the rock shaft for rocking the shaft to tilt the back and leg sections upon corresponding inclinations and adapted to engage said rack to hold said sections in such adjusted tilted positions, said lever near where itis connected to the rock shaft havingl a. tooth, and a pawl to engage said tooth when the lever is out of engagement with the rack to hold the leg and back sections alined with the middle section.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. FLETCHER. HUGH N. RICHARDSON. Witnesses:

G. B. JOHNSON,

C. W. IVALLACE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. f 

